By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green State University Trustees voted Friday to invest in two of the older residence halls on campus.
Constructed in 1955, Founders Residence Hall on the southwest corner of the campus, houses nearly 650 students and is home to BGSU’s Honors College.
While renovations have been undertaken in the past, the focus of the latest improvements involve the plumbing. Phase 1 of the project completed last summer dealt with standing water – which led to some moldy conditions and unpleasant smells.
(More stories from the BGSU Trustees meeting – on the new club arts program, and continued success securing grants and growing enrollment – will be forthcoming in BG Independent News.)
That first phase investigated plumbing infrastructure, replacing deteriorating systems and renovating 44 restrooms in the east wing, BGSU CFO Casey Wyman reported to the board. Additional work included repairing and rehabilitating perimeter foundation drainage, addressing stormwater infiltration in various rooms, replacing tile, reconnecting roof drains and evaluating entrance canopies and downspout connections.
Phase 2 and 3 are planned for summer of 2026, and involve more restroom work, completing renovations in the east wing and beginning improvements to the center wing restrooms, and addressing other drainage repairs.
Efforts will be made to minimize the disruptions to students living there, Wyman said.
The total project cost for the second and third phases, including design and construction, is estimated at $6 million.
The board also approved an estimated $3.7 million for design work for Kreischer Quadrangle Residence Hall, which has also been identified as one of the buildings on campus most in need of renovations due to its age and its high deferred maintenance costs.
Kreischer, originally built in 1966, is a four-winged hall with a central dining facility, located on the east side of campus off Mercer Road.
The renovations will occur in phases, with the first focused on improvements to two of the four residential wings and the addition of air conditioning to support year-round occupancy. Community restrooms will be reconfigured into modern pod-style layouts, enhancing privacy for students and allowing greater flexibility in room assignments.
Interior and exterior aesthetic upgrades will be made to strengthen connectivity through the building and create more welcoming entryways. The tentative schedule for work will be fall of 2027, with the goal of completing construction work by summer 2028, and being open for students by fall of 2028.
Also on the list for renovations is the Sundial dining hall in Kreischer. The central dining facility, which totals 28,500 square feet, is quite outdated and needs to be refreshed to make more efficient use of the space, Wyman said.
The goal is to design the improvements in the spring of 2026, then perform the work in phases to minimize disruptions to students. The actual construction will likely begin in the fall of 2027, with the dining area to be open for students by fall of 2028.
The estimated cost of the project is $600,000, which will be provided by Chartwells Dining Services, and paid for by BGSU over the life of the dining contract.
Also at the BGSU Trustees meeting, the board approved updates to the Associate of Applied Business in Computer Networking and Cybersecurity (AABCST) degree.
Offered through BGSU Firelands, the AABCST degree prepares students for careers in information technology, with a focus on networking and system administration. The enhanced degree will streamline curriculum, increase accessibility and align learning outcomes with workforce and industry standards, all without the need for additional funding or resources.
The degree will now feature reduced credit hour requirements and a fully online or hybrid learning format offered through BGSU Online, reducing both time and cost for students while increasing flexibility. The program will also better equip students with the knowledge and skills to sit for industry-recognized certifications such as CompTIA Security+, Network+, CCNA, CySA+ and CEH.
And in order to comply with Ohio Senate Bill 1, the BGSU Board of Trustees adopted policies regarding faculty workloads, annual performance evaluations, tenure, post-tenure review and retrenchment.
